Getting Involved - A Freshman's Perspective

By: Jacky Hardenburg

This year as a freshman at Oakland University, I already knew that I wanted to major in psychology, but I didn’t really know where to go from there.  When classes started I kind of just went through the motions, as many people seem to do at Oakland, and went to and from class without getting involved.  Within the first couple weeks of going to my Intro to Psychology class, I noticed my professor kept mentioning meetings and get-togethers hosted by PSI CHI.  After hearing the name for a couple weeks and getting frequent e-mails from OU’s chapter of the national honor society for psychology students – PSI CHI, I soon became very interested in what they had to offer me.

The first meeting I went to was a three hour session on a Saturday morning. Crazy as that sounds, sacrificing a Saturday morning was well worth it.  When I arrived at the workshop, there were bagels, coffee, and a lot of smiling faces eager to get started.   As I helped myself to goodies and found a place to sit, I wasn’t really sure of what to expect. The title of the event was Careers in Psychology and I was just hoping I wouldn’t fall asleep.  To my surprise, for the full three hours I was in that little room in South Foundation Hall, I was overwhelmingly intrigued with the information presented to me and the other thirty-one students who showed up that morning. 

The psychology professor, PSI CHI officers, and guest speakers all made valuable contributions to the presentation, as well as answered any questions the students asked.  Professor Lewis, the psychology department advisor, provided a PowerPoint slideshow that explained what jobs and internships are available, which classes are beneficial to take, and other pertinent information for a psychology major.  Although the range of information covered everything from a bachelor degree to a PhD degree, the focus was on the many exciting career opportunities available for bachelor degrees. The presentation left me a little speechless and overwhelmed, but definitely excited.    I walked out of the get-together with over twenty papers of information and how to get started on my career in psychology.

There is so much I want to accomplish and the workshop definitely sparked my interest in becoming a member of PSI CHI.  The more I learn about the organization PSI CHI, the more I want to volunteer my time and do what I can to get involved.  I hope to become a member by my junior year, but in the mean time, I plan to help with fundraisers or functions held by PSI CHI, post fliers, and inform other psych majors about this helpful organization.  Just from that one meeting, I know what my future at OU holds for me and the options that are available to me as a psychology major. With the help of PSI CHI, I can accomplish the goals that I set for myself and my future career in psychology.